Wheel stop



May 11, 1948. s, w, HAYES I 2,441,148

WHEEL STOP Filed April 17, 1944' Patented May 11,1948

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,441,148

WHEEL STOP Stanley W. Hayes, Richmond, Ind; assignor t'o Hayes Track Appliance Company, Richmond, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 17, 1944, Serial No. 531,416

a-pair of spaced apart wheel abutments. In a preferred embodiment of the stop a lower abutment is inclined at an angle such that a wheel may rise therealong and the second abutment is located higher than the lower one and is so configured that a wheel will not rise therealong. The abutment surfaces are so disposed that wheels for which the stop is primarily intended will strike only the lower abutment at lower speeds and at higher speeds will strike first the vlower abutment and then the upper abutment.

As a result, there is always applied to the wheel stop a downward component of thrust, through the lower abutment, which reduces the overturning moment resulting from the impact of a car wheel against either the lower or both abutment surfaces.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved wheel stop including a pair of wheel abutment surfaces, the uppermost one of which prevents upward movement of a wheelstriking it.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wheel stop including a plurality of wheel abutment surfaces, the first of which is configured so that a wheel striking it will rise therealong and which is the only stop encountered by wheels at low speed, the second of which is configured so that a wheel striking it will not rise therealong and which is located above the first abutment surface, and the third of which is configured to prevent a wheel striking it from rising therealong and which is located above the second abutment and above the level of the car wheel axle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wheel stop capable of being used with railroad passenger cars and the like Where braking apparatus is located at the outsides of the wheels, rather than between them, as in freight cars.

Other objects and advantagesv of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing 8 Claims. (01. 104-258) descriptionin the course' of which reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure "1 a side elevational view, partly broken away better to illustrate details thereof, of a wheel stop embodying the present invention;

' Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary side elevational views illustrating a car wheel in various positions relative to the wheel stop; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, on a reduced scale, of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2, and 3, it may be noted that the wheel stop of the present invention has been indicated as a whole by reference character It]. While only one stop has been illustrated, it is contemplated that two stops will be utilized in the usual installation, one stop for each rail. 3

The wheel stop is characterized, in the main, by the provision of an upper wheel abutment surface which prevents the rise of a wheel coming in contact therewith and which is preferably so located relative to another and lower abutment surface that it is not struck by a wheel unless the wheel is travelling at a relatively high rate of speed.

The wheel stop I!) includes a plurality of wheel abutment surfaces I2, I 4, and I6 located at different points lengthwise as well as vertically of the rail. These abutment surfaces are preferably formed by cutting a metal plate indicated as a whole by reference character It! with surfaces of the desired configurations.

The abutment surface l2, which may be considered to be the lower forward abutment surface,'is inclined upwardly and rearwardly so that a wheel striking it will rise a short distance there along. In the instant case, the surface is inclined at an angle of about 45 and it is formed by cutting away the upper forward corner of a lower extension 20 of plate 18.

The abutment surface [4, which may be considered to be an intermediate abutment surface, is preferably constituted by the generally vertical forward edge of the main portion of the plate l8. This abutment surface extends somewhat above the level of the car wheel axle so that it is engageable by a. wheel rising along abutment surface l2. v

' The abutment surface 5, which may be referred to as the upper forward abutment surface, extends forwardly and upwardly from the intermediate abutment surface so as to prevent a wheel from rising therealong. It has been illustrated as being slanted so as to engage a wheel substantially tangentially, although other configurations may be used.

The wheel stop includes also a pair of diverging and downwardly and rearwardly extending bars 22 and a generally U-shaped saddle 24 disposed in inverted postion and straddling the rail 26. The forward ends of the bars 22 are secured, as by welding, to 'the sides of the plate 18 in the vicinity of the intermediate abutment surface Hi. The rear ends of the bars are secured in abutting relation to the saddle at substantially the level of the rail although the lower extremities of the bars and saddle extend below the base of the rail into abutting relation witha tie :28, as illustrated in Figure 1, whereby the shock of impact is transmitted to the ties and ballast.

The vertically disposed plate I8 has a thickness of about one inch, a width of about six inches over its major portion, and rises to a height of about twenty inches above the top of the rail, i-..e....a;:heightsomewhatgreater than the radius of then'ormal sizerailroad' car-wheel which has a diameter of thirty-three inches. The forward extension 2c of the plate restsupon the top of the rail and the rear portion rests upon and is secured, as by welding, to a horizontal bar 3!] disposed transversely of and extending beyond the sides of the rail head to receive holding means 32 located atopposite sides of the stop (only one of which is shown in the-drawing). The holding means is constructed and arranged aS disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, to permit the stopto slide along the rail under car wheel impact. Each of theholding means includes a bolt 34 extending through an aperture (not shown) inthe horizontal bar 30 and having ahead 36 provided with an inclined portion adapted to engage the underside of the rail head. The bolt is drawn up by a nut 38 until the head of the bolt engages the underside of the railhead. Thebolts and bolt heads support the Wheel stop in vertical position on and prevent it from risin above the top of the rail head andthe inclined portions of the head center the stop on the rail.

The bolts are kept properly positioned relative to the rail heads by retainers 40, which areshort pieces of channel iron secured to the underside of the horizontalbarwith their open sides facing therail andthe webs lapping under the horizontalbarashort distance as about one-eighth of an men. It ispreferred that the bolt head 36 be dimensioned to engagethe inner sides of the retainer in order to prevent the bolt from bending andto maintain the bolt head in contact with the rail head- Thus asthe stop moves along the rail, the-bolt is moved with it. In practice the bolt is tightened. firmly, but even so the stop will slide along the top of the rail under car wheel impact.

theembodiment of the invention illustrated in'Fig. 4only two abutment surfaces are utilized. These are a lower abutment surface l2 and an upper abutment surface 50. While the wheel stop includes a vertical surface, the location of surraces. [2 and Ellis. 'such that the vertical surface is actuallynot contacted by a' wheel of a size for, which the stop is designed. Whileit is preferred that the surface l2 alone be engaged at lower speeds ,andthat' surfaces l2 and .50 be engaged atthe higher speeds; the arrangement could'be suchthat surfaces, It? and 50 are engaged subs'tantia'lly simultaneously, at least by the largest sized wheel for. which the sto'plls designed.

" The embodiment ifof the invention illustrated in;

l igQ l f-is,"particularly. advantageous for use in stopping passenger cars. which have-the brakes;

on the outer sides of the wheels, as distinguished from freight cars, in which the brakes are located between wheels and are, therefore, not likely to be struck by the wheel stop. The vertical surface is thus so located that the braking apparatus on the car will not strike it.

In operation, the wheel stop, after being installed on the rail in theposition indicated in the drawing, transmits the-shock of the car wheel impact to the saddle 2 2 through the bars 22 and the saddle in turn transmits the impact to the tie and the ballast. The tie and ballast yield more or less depending on the nature of the ballast as Well as upon the force of the impact to provide a cushion stop.

The action of the stop is dependent upon the size of the wheel striking it. In the first embodiment of the invention, it is preferred that the abutment surfaces be so located that the largest sized wheels for which the stop is primarily designed; engage. the lower abutment surface ;;I2 first, so that at lower speeds this abutment is the only one engaged, while at higher speeds the wheels rise therealong a short distance and also engage one of the other abutment surfaces, It is preferred further that the other abutment surface thus engaged be the abutment surface I4, as illustrated in Fig. 2 The third and uppermost abutment surface 16 serves to prevent the wheel from rising, at least unless the wheel move backwardly a distance so that the wheel is prevented from climbing over the wheel stop. Inasmuch as the lower abutment surface is inclined, it is subjected to both a horizontal and downward component of force. The downward component of force relieves the strain on the bolts 34 and like wise reduceslthe overturning moment applied to the stop as a whole. This resultobtains irrespective of whether the lowermost abutment surface l2 alone or two abutment surfaces are engaged. The same result would obtain also if two of the abutment surfaces, or for that matter, all three abutment surfaces, are simultaneously engaged.

In the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, it is preferred, as heretofore indicated, that the lowermost abutment surface I? bev engaged first. The action in this event is substantially the same as that of the first described embodiment except that the second abutment engaged by the wheel is the upwardly and forwardly inclined abutment 50 preventing the wheel from rising. This stop may be used with eitherflelght or passenger cars, but is particularly advantgeous with the latter because of the room provided for the braking apparatus.

It should be understood that, while the present. invention has been; described in connection with specific details of two embodiments thereof, these details are not to be construed aslimitative of the invention exceptinso far as set forth in the ac companying claims.

What I claim asnew and. desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a, wheel stop adapted to beseated upon a rail, structure providing a pair of wheel abutments rising above the top of the rail, one of said abutments including an upper abutment surface above the level of the car wheel axle and having a configuration suchand solocated that a wheel striking it is prevented from rising therealong, and the'other of said abutments including an abutment surface at a lower level, said lower abutment surface having a conflgurattion enabling a wheelto rise therealong and beingso located relative to the: first mentioned. abutment-l surface that wheelsfor which "the stop is primarily. intended strike the lower abutment surface only at lower speeds, and at higher speedsstrlke first. the, lower surface and then the upper one, whereby the engagement of the wheel with the lower surface is effective to produce a downward component of force reducing the overturning moment resulting from the impact of a car wheel and engagement with the upper abutment surface prevents the car wheel from rising, and means for holding the stop seated on the rail. 1

1 2. 'In a wheel stop adapted to be seated upon "a rail, structure providing a plurality of wheel abutments rising above the top of the rail, one of said abutments including an upper abutment surface having a configuration such that a wheel striking it is prevented from rising therealong, another of said abutments including an intermediate abutment surface having a configuration such and so located that a wheel striking it will have no tendency to rise along the surface, and a third abutment including an abutment surface at a lower level and forward of said intermediate abutment surface, said lower abutment surface having. a configuration enabling a wheel to rise therealong and being so located relative to the first mentioned abutment surfaces that the largest wheels for which the stop is primarily intended strike only the lower abutment surface at reduced speeds, and at higher speeds strike the lower abutment first and then the intermediate abutment surface, whereby the engagement of the wheel with the lower abutment surface is effective to produce a downward component of force reducing the overturning moment resulting from the impact of a car wheel against either the lower or both the lower and intermediate abutment surfaces, and means for holding the stop seated on the rail.

3. In a wheel stop adapted to be seated upon arail, structure providing a pair of wheel abutments rising above the top of the rail, one of said abutments including an upper abutment surface above the level of the car wheel axle and inclined upwardly and in the direction from which the stop is approached by a car wheel, whereby a car wheel striking said surface is prevented from rising therealong, and the other of said abutments including an abutment surface at a lower level and extending downwardly and forwardly whereby a wheel is enabled to rise therealong, said abutment surfaces being so located relative to each other that the largest wheels for which the stop may be used strike both abutment surfaces simultaneously and smaller wheels strike the lower abutment surface first only at lower speeds and at higher speeds strike the lower abutment surface first and then the upper abutment surface, and means for holding the stop seated on the rail.

4. In a wheel stop adapted to be seated upon a rail, a first wheel abutment comprising structure rising above the top of a rail to a height substantially less than the height of the wheel axle and having an abutment surface configured to enable a wheel to rise therealong, and a second wheel abutment comprising structure connected to the first structure having a second abutment surface located to the rear of the first and above the height of the wheel axle, said second abutment surface being configured so that a wheel striking it is prevented from rising therealong, and said surfaces being so located that the largest size of wheel for which the stop may be used strikes both abutment surfaces substantially simultaneouslif,":and smaller wheels either strike the first abutment. surface only or the twoabutment surfaces dependent upon the rate of-travel of the. wheels, and means for holding the stop seated on the rail. a

5. In a Wheel stop adapted to be seated upon a rail, structure providing a plurality of wheel abutments rising above the top of the rail, one of said abutments'including an upper abutment surface having a configuration such that a wheel striking it is prevented from rising therealong, and another abutment including an abutment surface at a lower level, said lower abutment surface having a configuration enabling a wheel to rise therealong and being so located relative to the upper abutment surface that wheels for which the stop is primarily intended strike only the lower abutment surface at reduced speeds and at higher speeds strike the lower abutment first and then also the upper abutment, whereby th engagement of the wheel with the lower abutment surface is effective to produce a downward component of force reducing the overturning moment resulting from the impact of a car wheel against either the lower or both abutment surfaces, and said abutment surfaces being connected by structure providing room for braking apparatus attached to the car and disposed on the outside of the car wheel, as in' railroad passenger cars, and means for holding the stop seated on the rail.

6. In a wheel stop adapted to be seated upon a rail, structure'providing a pair of wheel abutments rising above the top of the rail, one of said abutments including an upper abutment surface above the level of the car wheel axle and inclined forwardly and upwardly so that a wheel striking it is prevented from rising therealong, and the other of said abutments including an abutment surface at a lower level and forward of said upper abutment surface, said lower abutment surface being inclined upwardly and rearwardly to enable a wheel to rise therealong and being so located relative to the first mentioned abutment surface that wheels for which the stop is primarily intended strike the lower abutment surface only at lower speeds, and at higher speeds strike first the lower surface and then also the upper one, whereby the engagement of the wheel with the lower surface is effective to produce a downward component for force reducing the overturning moment resulting from the impact of a car wheel against either the lower or both abutment surfaces, and means for holding the stop seated on the rail,

7. In a wheel stop adapted to be seated upon a rail, structure providing a plurality of wheel abutments rising above the top of the rail, one of said abutments including an upper abutment surface inclined forwardly and upwardly so that a wheel striking it is prevented from rising therealong, another of said abutments including a generally vertical intermediate abutment surface so that a wheel striking it will have no tendency to rise along the surface, and a third abutment including an abutment surface at a lower level and forward of said intermediate abutment surface, said lower abutment surface being inclined upwardly and rearwardly to enable a wheel to rise therealong and being so located relative to the other abutment surfaces that the largest wheels for which the stop is primarily intended strike only the lower abutment surface at reduced speeds and at higher speeds strike the lower abutment first and then the intermediate abutment'surface, whereby the engagement of the wheel with the lower abutment surface is emotive to produce a downward component of vforte reducing. the overturn ng moment resulting {m the impact of a car Wheel vagainst either the lower er-bothithe lower and intermediate abutment surfaces, and means for holding the stop seated on the rail.

8. In a wheel stop adapted to be seated upon a rail, structure providing a plurality of wheel abutments rising above the top of the rail, one of said abutments including an upper abutment surface inclined forwardly and upwardly so that a wheel striking it is prevented from rising thereal ng, another abutment including an abutment surface at a lower level inclined upwardly and rearwardly to enable a wheel to rise 'therealonz,

and strueture intero'ohnecting said abutment surfaces-providing room vfor braking apparatus ate tachedi'to a car and disposed on the outer side of the ear wheel, as in railroad passenger. cars, said abutment surfaces being so located that the wheels for which the stop is intended strike either the lower abutment surface alone or both abutmerit surfaces. whereby the engagement of the wheelwlth the lower abutment s rface is eflective to produce a downward Q mPQnent of force reducing the overturnin momen resulting from the impact at a car Wheel against either the lower or both abutment surfaces, and means for holdin the stop seated on the rail.

STANLEY W. HAYES. 

